With the hitting-challenged Padres as the opponent, the possibilities seemed endless.

However, Tyson Ross, the opposing pitcher, stepped into the box with two outs in the sixth. It seemed a given Kershaw was headed to the seventh with his gem intact, but Ross lined a single into left-center, and that was that.

Kershaw was asked after the game if he allowed himself to think about a no-hitter.

"In the fifth inning is not quite far enough yet," Kershaw said with a laugh. "Sixth or seventh inning, the fans will let you know. But to give up a hit to a pitcher, it just wasn't my night."

Asked if he had no-no stuff, Kershaw said: "Apparently not. I gave up three (hits), so no."

He still pitched well enough to win. Kershaw fanned 10, walked two and gave up one run in eight innings, and he emerged with a 2-1 win when teammate Justin Turner hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Kershaw threw his first career no-hitter June 18, striking out 15 Colorado Rockies in an 8-0 win.